If dbForge stopped connecting after an upgrade, first identify what changed: dbForge itself, SSMS or Visual Studio, Windows, or the database server. Then separate a missing SQL Tools menu inside a host application from a failed database connection in dbForge Studio. Those symptoms have different causes and fixes; the steps below help narrow down which branch applies.
First, identify what changed and what failed
Record these details before changing settings: the dbForge product and edition, its old and new version numbers, the host application and version if applicable, the database engine and version, the authentication method, and the exact error text. Also note whether the failure began after an update to dbForge, SSMS, Visual Studio, Windows, or the database server. The cause cannot be identified from “after an upgrade” alone.
- SQL Tools disappeared from SSMS or Visual Studio: investigate host integration compatibility.
- dbForge Studio opens, but its connection test fails: inspect the saved connection and the database-specific settings.
If SQL Tools disappeared from SSMS or Visual Studio
This is a host-integration problem, not necessarily a database connection failure. Devart says each SQL Tools release is designed for the SSMS versions available when that release was issued. If the host application was updated, the installed SQL Tools components may no longer be the appropriate integration for it. Check Devart’s SQL Tools support guidance and the requirements for the versions you actually use; an example version pairing in an older support article should not be treated as current compatibility guidance.
- Uninstall the installed dbForge SQL Tools components.
- Install the appropriate SSMS or Visual Studio version.
- Reinstall the latest SQL Tools version compatible with that host, using Devart’s current product guidance.
- Allow the host application to finish initializing the tools. Devart says the first SSMS setup may take approximately 1–2 minutes, depending on system performance; this is guidance, not a guaranteed duration.
If dbForge Studio opens but cannot connect
Open the affected saved connection and check the settings against the server’s current requirements. Verify the server or instance, port where applicable, authentication choice, login, password, target database, and any connection-specific options. Then use Test Connection to check whether those settings work. Do not share passwords or other secrets when seeking help.
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SQL Server Studio
In dbForge Studio for SQL Server, connection properties include the server, authentication, login, password, database, connection timeout, encryption, and optional connection-string parameters. The documented authentication choices include Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, and Microsoft Entra methods. Check the settings relevant to your environment, including the server or instance name and target database. If the server uses a custom port, the documentation shows it after the server name separated by a comma—for example, localhost,62005. Use the connection dialog’s Test Connection button after checking the values. See Devart’s SQL Server connection documentation for the product’s fields and options.
If the error mentions encryption or certificate negotiation, compare dbForge’s encryption setting with the server’s requirements. Do not disable encryption as a general-purpose fix. Instead, check the revision history for the exact SQL Server Studio version: Devart lists a connection issue related to the Encryption parameter as resolved in version 7.1.37, dated April 7, 2025. That historical fix is relevant only if the product version and error match; it does not establish that other post-upgrade failures have the same cause. The SQL Server Studio revision history is version-specific.
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MySQL Studio
For dbForge Studio for MySQL, verify the connection protocol (TCP/IP or named pipe), host, port, username and password, and database. The documented default port is 3306; use the port configured on your server rather than assuming the default applies. If your connection depends on SSL or SSH, inspect those security settings too, then select Test Connection. Devart describes these fields in its MySQL connection documentation.
Edit the saved connection before replacing it
For SQL Server Studio, you can inspect and change an existing connection without deleting it: in Database Explorer, right-click the saved connection and select Modify Connection. Edit the relevant parameters and click Connect; the changed parameters are saved. This lets you verify the stored values before deciding whether a connection needs to be removed and recreated. Follow Devart’s Modify Connection instructions.
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If you are upgrading dbForge Studio for MySQL, Devart’s upgrade guide says to close all running Studio instances except the one being upgraded. It documents both Help > Check for Updates and manual installation. This is useful upgrade hygiene, but the guide does not say that an update normally erases saved connection settings. See the MySQL Studio upgrade guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the exact product’s release history
Once you know the affected product and installed version, inspect its official revision history for entries near the upgrade date. Look for fixes involving connectivity, authentication, encryption, or host compatibility, and compare the entry with your exact error and version. A release note shows that a fix shipped for a particular product and version; it does not prove that the fix applies to a different edition or to your connection failure.
If the test still fails
Keep the exact error text and the relevant non-secret connection settings, then contact Devart support with the product name and edition, old and new versions, database and host versions, and the upgrade that preceded the failure. Remove passwords, tokens, private keys, and credentials embedded in connection strings before sending logs or configuration details. If the issue is missing SQL Tools rather than a failed connection test, describe the host application and version separately so support can address integration compatibility.
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